The present invention deals with remote monitoring. More specifically, the present invention deals with remotely monitoring and collecting vend data from a plurality of vending systems.
Vending machines are currently in wide use, and typically involve a remote machine holding a plurality of products or items to be dispensed after receiving money from a purchaser. Most such machines are electromechanically controlled. Such electromechanical machines typically include devices referred to as a coin changer and a bill validator for receiving money from a customer. The machines also typically include a plurality of bins for holding different products to be sold. A plurality of customer inputs are provided (such as buttons) through which the customer can indicate a desired product. Vend motors are located proximate the various bins to dispense a product from one of the bins upon actuation. Upon receiving adequate monetary input, the coin changer provides a credit output which energizes a credit relay. The credit relay provides power to a circuit which powers both a product out light and the vend motor. Once the credit relay is energized, and if the purchaser actuates one of the purchaser input buttons, the appropriate vend motor is energized so that it rotates to dispense a product.
Prior vending machine monitoring systems have also been attempted. Such systems have been put in place in hopes of gathering vend data from vending machines. However, such prior systems have proven to be highly inaccurate and ineffective. For example, hand held computers are currently available which can be coupled to some vending machines to receive some items of information about previous vending transactions. The information received includes, for instance, the level of coins in the coin changer. However, no information regarding the number of vends in any particular bin within the machine is transmitted. Further, such hand held computers require a service person to travel to the machine to find out whether a service call is needed. Thus, such a system is economically wasteful.